Fred Tyler

If you want to make herbal incense,  that is one thing.  But if you are lighting a fire and can smell the smoke that is probably not a good thing. When you light a fire in your wood stove, fireplace, or RMH, the smoke needs to go up the chimney. If not, that can be dangerous and could indicate a problem that needs to be addressed.

The most successful way I've seen of killing a tree is to girdle it. It is not immediate, but doesn't involve poison or frequent attention.  This will be harder to do on a tree that has previously been cut down and has many stems. Once you cut the top of the tree off, hormones in the tree trigger it to grow lots of shoots. So, if possible, avoid that step for now. Cut through the bark (being careful to not cut the wood much) and peel off at least 6 inches of bark around the  full circumference of the tree. Be sure you aren't leaving the inner bark (even a small strip in a fold of the trunk can sustain the tree). The spring when the bark slips is the easiest time to do this. If you don't damage the wood and only cut the bark, the tree won't even know it is dying. It won't be able to send food between the leaves and roots. It won't store any energy to make it through the winter and it won't come back the next year. It will stay green through the summer, so it will look like you haven't done anything,  but be patient.

I don't think she's talking about watermelons. A few years ago we grew Valecia Winter Melon at WL. We didn't get too many so they all got eaten before we could see how long they lasted. But, I've heard of people eating them at christmas.

Here's info about christmas melons

Stephen B. Thomas wrote:

Note to self: this is what a daikon radish looks like when it's about to flower. We experimented today by pinching off the flower stalk, hoping that energy will instead go to the root or at least the leaves. We'll see how things work out over the rest of the season.

Generally when a plant has decided its time to bolt there is no stopping it. The hormones in the plant have already shifted.

Regarding daikon specifically: What I've always heard and it has seemed to bear true in MT is that if you plant daikon seeds before summer solstice you get flowers and seeds and no roots to speak of. If you want to harvest roots try planting some after the solstice and there should be some fat roots before the frosts.

It was only a couple of years before this newest hinge that we trimmed 1/2" off the bottom of the door. I don't know if the post keeps settling,  or what. I think the door is on it's fourth hinge version.  Sometimes the door started sticking because the hinges failed. Sometimes,  it did seem to stick worse in winter and spring than it did in summer. But, whether it is the door, or the post, or all of the frame, I couldn't say what was swelling the most.

The back door doesn't have so many problems.  It is slightly smaller AND it swings mostly over air. If I had foreseen this problem, I would have made the cob floor at least an inch lower. I guess we thought that it would be too awkward with that much of a step over the threshold.

Jesse Glessner wrote:
IF you PM me and  send me your name, address, etc. I could send you some FREE wrapped clippings with the named variety. You should have some root starter for mine as these will be short pieces of limbs instead of roots. That gives them a jump start, as if they really need that.

Awesome Jesse! I will PM.

Rebekah Harmon wrote:I can get some, Fred :) ...shall I go pick some for you? I have no idea their cultivar name. I can get purple ones or blue ones? Purple from a neighbors backyard, blue that are wild.

Thanks for the lead, Rebekah and thanks for the offer! I'll PM.

Lina Joana wrote:Oh man - just a bit too late! Mine already broke bud here in Maryland.
I am willing to send some if you want to risk it, I just don’t know how well they would do. I have Ranch, Gordon, two European varieties I have forgotten the names of, and a technically unimproved species that bears beautifully. You can keep me in mind for next year too if you like.

Thanks for the offer Lina!  It probably is too late, but I will definitely keep you in mind for next year.

Jim Fry wrote:--You can have the cuttings free, but I cannot ship to you.

Thanks for the offer, but Ohio is a little far for me.

I'm wondering if anyone has any improved named varieties of elderberry and would be willing to sell me some cuttings.  

Thanks in advance for your suggestions,  but I am not looking for commercial source for these. I want to buy them from a permie.